Enjoying a Bargain

Bottom round roast was on sale this week, so I purchased a 3 1/2 pound one. It's been a busy week, with the church newsletter, two BeCentsable workshops in Spotswood, NJ, and a guild meeting today. I didn't have time to cook the roast, so I let the crockpot do the work (again). Once it was cooked, I sliced it and froze the remaining parts in two serving portions. Here is the recipe:

Crockpot Bottom Round Roast

• 3-4 lbs boneless bottom round roast
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion flakes
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon sage
• 1 tablespoon rosemary (reserve 1/2)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, quartered

Directions

1. Mix all dry ingrediants together in a plate.
2. Rub roast in oil.
3. Roll roast in dry mix.
4. Place onions on bottom of crock pot.
5. Place roast in crock pot.
6. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
7. Throw in remaining rosemary 1/2-1 hr before dinner to send the aroma once again through the house.
8. Use the juices to make a gravy... I like to brown onions, with a little oil and flour, then add the juices.

I also made my famous Potato Rolls. Baking bread is not time consuming: most of the time is spent waiting for the risings. By using Rapid Rise Yeast, you cut the time in half. Here is the recipe for my Potato Rolls:

Potato Rolls

Prep: 45 minutes
Rise: 1 hour 35 minutes
Bake: pan rolls 20 minutes; individual rolls 10 minutes

Ingredients

4- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 package rapid rise yeast (you can substitute regular yeast)
1 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup mashed potato, instant or homemade (using buttermilk in mixture)*

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl combine 2 cups of the flour and the yeast. In a saucepan heat and stir milk, water, sugar, shortening, and salt just until warm (120 degrees F to 130 degrees F) and shortening almost melts; add to flour mixture along with egg and mashed potato. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat on high speed 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (about 10 minutes Rapid Rise Yeast, 1 hour with regular yeast.).

3. Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan or a large baking sheet. Divide each dough portion into 12 pieces. Gently pull each piece into a ball, tucking edges under to make smooth tops. Place in prepared baking pan or 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Cover; let rise in a warm place until nearly double (35 to 45 minutes).

4. Bake about 20 minutes for rolls in 13x9x2-inch pan; if necessary cover with foil the last 5 minutes to prevent overbrowning. Bake rolls on baking sheet for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove rolls from pan Cool on wire racks.

5. Makes 24 rolls

6. *Homemade Mashed Potato: Peel and quarter 1 medium potato. Cook, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender; drain. Mash with a potato masher or beat with an electric mixer on low speed. Measure 1/2 cup.

7. Instant Mashed Potato Rolls: Prepare as above, except omit cooking the potatoes. Prepare packaged instant mashed potatoes (enough for one 1/2-cup serving). Substitute prepared mashed potatoes for the cooked mashed potatoes, and add an additional 1/4 to 1/3 cup flour.

8. Make-ahead directions: Prepare as above through step 3, except do not let rise after shaping. Cover shaped rolls loosely with plastic wrap, leaving room for dough to rise. Chill for 2 to 24 hours. Let stand, loosely covered, at room temperature for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake as directed.

I hope you enjoy making these recipes for your families while you save money!

Timing is Everything

St. Patrick's Day is a big event in these parts. Most people wear green for good luck, and if you are working in midtown Manhattan, there is no way to get around the parade: either your in the mix before it, or after it, when the watering holes are filled to capacity.

As a smart food shopper, my take on St. Patty's Day is different: it's a good time to get corned beef at a good price. Cabbage and potatoes are also on sale. Whether you're buying the corned beef already cooked for sandwiches, or buying a brisket to cook, you can save 30%-50% off the regular prices. I like to buy several whole briskets, cook one in my crockpot, and freeze the others. The recipe follows, but I put it on in the morning, and voila, at the end of the day, dinner is mostly done. The others, I freeze and cook on another busy day.

Speaking of freezing, March has been designated Frozen Food Month, and you'll find good buys on frozen vegetables, entrees, breakfasts, and such. While my preference is fresh vegetables, when choosing between canned and frozen, I'll choose frozen. I try to keep any frozen food coupons I've gathered until March if possible, knowing there will be deals celebrating my grocer's freezer aisle. Did you know that grocers came up with Frozen Food Month because they found that there was no big food holiday between the Superbowl and Easter? Food for thought! Now here are my recipes for Crockpot Corned Beef and Sauteed Cabbage.

Crockpot Corned Beef
1 corned beef brisket, fat trimmed
1 teaspoon whole mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons prepared mustard
2 bay leaves
1 cup apple cider
Water to cover

Place corned beef in crockpot; add sugar, mustard and spices. Pour cider over spices, then add enough water just to cover beef. Cook 7-8 hours on low, or 4-5 hours on high. Meat should be fork tender.

Sauteed Cabbage
1 head cabbage, outer leaves and core discarded, sliced
4 strips cooked bacon, chopped large and set aside, bacon fat reserved in pan
1 red pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup water

Spoon three tablespoons of the bacon fat into a deep skillet or dutch oven. Layer cabbage and peppers, sprinkling each layer with some of the salt and pepper. Pour water over the cabbage, and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook 20-25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Add 1-3 tablespoons of water if necessary while cooking. Cabbage should be tender. Top with bacon.